WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza is speaking about probably transferring as much as 130 forward of his rematch in opposition to former champ Robeisy Ramirez subsequent month on December seventh on the Footprint Heart in Phoenix, Arizona.
The lanky 6’1″ Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) has regarded massive in between fights, and it’s clearly taking lots out of him to drop weight to get all the way down to the skeletal 126 lbs to defend his WBO belt.
Whatever the consequence of his rematch with Robeisy (14-2, 9 KOs), it is sensible for the 30-year-old Espinoza to maneuver as much as tremendous featherweight as a result of he can get a pleasant payday preventing the winner of the rematch between WBO 130-lb champion Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez.
These two are preventing in the principle occasion on the December seventh card on the Footprint Heart. So, that makes it a straightforward combat to make for High Rank to match Espinoza in opposition to the winner.
Newly topped WBC tremendous featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster mentioned he needs to combat the Navarrete-Valdez II winner, however his 12-round break up determination victory over Robson Conceicao of their rematch on November 2nd was so boring to observe it might be a foul concept for High Rank to let him be subsequent. It will be extra fascinating for followers to have Espinoza combat the winner.
High Rank ought to have Foster combat a rematch with #2 WBC Eduardo Hernandez as a result of e their conflict final yr on October twenty eighth was drama-filled, with O’Shaquie needing to come back from behind to attain a Twelfth-round knockout.
“He will get hit flush. He doesn’t have an important protection, and that’s going to be an issue for him when he will get in with Robeisy. He is aware of he can harm him. He put him on the canvas earlier than [last year on December 9th, 2023], and I believe he’s going to place him on the canvas once more,” mentioned Tim Bradley to Probox TV about WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza being susceptible on protection going into his rematch with the two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez on December seventh.
“He will get hit on chin by Robeisy Ramirez. If he’s struggling making weight at 126 lbs, he’ll get harm. Belief me, Robeisy Ramirez needs his belt again. I believe it’s a decide ’em combat, it’s whoever lands first, however I might guess that Robeisy will land that kill shot, and he’ll finish Espinoza,” mentioned Bradley.
Espinoza regarded good in his final combat in opposition to Sergio Chirino Sanchez, however he wasn’t preventing a expertise like Robeisy. Issues may very well be very totally different for him when he faces the Cuban Robeisy on December seventh, and this is likely to be the top of his brief title reign.
“This isn’t a straightforward combat vs. Robeisy Ramirez. He’s very proficient. Their first combat was an absolute struggle,” mentioned Chris Algieri. “Espinoza needed to pull that one out of the hearth. He bought dropped early [in round five], and needed to rating a knockdown on the finish [in round twelve] to win the combat. ”
It regarded like Espinoza was performed when he was knocked down within the fifth spherical by Robeisy, however he was lucky the that occurred within the closing seconds of that spherical. Had the knockdown occurred earlier within the spherical, Espinoza would have been knocked out as a result of he was out on his toes after getting again up. All it might have taken is one other massive left hand from Robeisy to complete him.
“Going into the rematch and letting everybody know that principally win, lose or draw, ‘I’m transferring up, means I’ve to maneuver up.’ I’m stunned he’s been in a position to keep at this weight for therefore lengthy.”
Espinoza regarded like a starved skeleton in his combat in opposition to Robeisy final yr and had the same look in his latest protection in opposition to Sergio Chirino Sanchez on June twenty first. It’s bought to be laborious for Espiniza not to have the ability to benefit from the cash he’s making by consuming effectively in between fights, and he’s not getting any youthful.
At 30, he can’t proceed to empty all the way down to 126 like this with out it catching as much as him, probably in his rematch in opposition to Robeisy on December seventh.
“I don’t suppose he has any alternative. I don’t know what took him so lengthy. This man is big at featherweight,” mentioned Paulie Malignaggi concerning the 6’1″ Espinoza.
Espinoza may most likely keep at featherweight just a little longer if there was a cash combat for him, however there isn’t. There’s nobody there that’s well-known sufficient for Espinoza to get the sort of dough that he would by transferring as much as 130 to tackle the Navarrete-Valdez 2 winner or snatching the WBC belt from the light-hitting Foster after which preventing a unification match in opposition to Oscar or Emanuel.
